Psychology Commons^™

"A Strange Liking": Our Admiration For Criminals, Martha Grace Duncan

Faculty Articles

This article explores noncriminals' admiration for the lawbreaker. Drawing on literature, films, history, and psychoanalysis, the article seeks to delineate and explain this paradox. Each part of the article adopts a different approach to the subject of admiration for criminals. Part II, "Reluctant Admiration," sets the stage by presenting evidence that such admiration, and conflict over it, are pervasive. Parts III and IV present two quite different strategies that noncriminals employ to cope with their inner conflict over criminality. Thus, Part III, "Rationalized Admiration," depicts noncriminals who express undisguised enjoyment in, and reverence for, criminals. These noncriminals justify their attraction …